Bill Kristol: Anti-Jewish Leaflets May Be Russian Ploy

The disturbing fliers distributed outside a Ukraine synagogue ordering Jews to register or face deportation may be a Russian plot to turn the world against the beleaguered nation, Bill Kristol, founder and editor of The Weekly Standard says.

"It could be the Russians trying to make people in the west think the Ukrainians are rearing their somewhat ugly head … [and] turning the west against Ukraine," Kristol told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.

"This is what happens when countries invade other countries, when you get this level of turmoil....

"You don't want countries destabilizing other countries, it ends up not being good for anyone, not good for the Jews obviously, but not good for any civilized people in the region."

Story continues below video.

Kristol said the Obama administration is also having an "internal debate" about whether to allow Russia to fly new planes with better spying equipment over the U.S.

"They do fly some planes already under the open skies [and] we fly planes over their country to make sure there's not some sudden troop movement or that they're not violating an arms control treaty," he said.

"But you need to get permission to upgrade your censors and to add new planes and the State Department just wants to give permission to the Russians [...].

"The Defense Department … [is] really appalled."

See "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV each weekday live by clicking here now.